Brother Sharp is the affectionate name given to the homeless Chinese man, Cheng Guorong, who shot to fame in January of 2010. Perhaps, one of the best examples of internet memes, Brother Sharp is an interesting example to analyze mostly because the whole episode went unnoticed by Guorong himself. He was later informed about his internet fame, much to his surprise. Guorong's photos were posted online by a photographer who was intrigued by the sight of him walking down a street in Ningbo, China. The photos were met with positive feedback and portrayed Guorong in a very different light. His mis-matched clothing, scruffy haircut, rugged face and non-chalent expression were over-analyzed and interpreted. Assumed to be a model of some sort, people quickly photoshopped him into posters, videos and even began a man-hunt to see him in person. That is the power of the meme. Since then Guorong has been the subject of numerous realty shows in China and was the proud recipient of an extreme make-over as a publicity stunt. He was also re-united with his long-lost family as a result and has been enjoying the limelight while it lasts. Cheng Guorong even has his own Facebook page under the name of 'Brother Sharp' which 3,800 people have 'liked'. It includes several albums featuring him in various poses and in doctored images of footballers, models and actors. What is most interesting about this particular case is the fact that regardless of its authenticity, and its context, people featured in memes are received by largely accepting audiences worldwide. Audiences online do not care that is it fake, or that it is incorrect- if it entertains then it credit-worthy.
Brother Sharp is the affectionate name given to the homeless Chinese man, Cheng Guorong, who shot to fame in January of 2010. Perhaps, one of the best examples of internet memes, Brother Sharp is an interesting example to analyze mostly because the whole episode went unnoticed by Guorong himself. He was later informed about his internet fame, much to his surprise.
Guorong's photos were posted online by a photographer who was intrigued by the sight of him walking down a street in Ningbo, China. The photos were met with positive feedback and portrayed Guorong in a very different light. His mis-matched clothing, scruffy haircut, rugged face and non-chalent expression were over-analyzed and interpreted. Assumed to be a model of some sort, people quickly photoshopped him into posters, videos and even began a man-hunt to see him in person. That is the power of the meme.
Since then Guorong has been the subject of numerous realty shows in China and was the proud recipient of an extreme make-over as a publicity stunt. He was also re-united with his long-lost family as a result and has been enjoying the limelight while it lasts. Cheng Guorong even has his own Facebook page under the name of 'Brother Sharp' which 3,800 people have 'liked'. It includes several albums featuring him in various poses and in doctored images of footballers, models and actors.
What is most interesting about this particular case is the fact that regardless of its authenticity, and its context, people featured in memes are received by largely accepting audiences worldwide. Audiences online do not care that is it fake, or that it is incorrect- if it entertains then it credit-worthy.